Beach
both
Level 4/10

Populo

Sao Miguel, Portugal
🪨Rocks🌀Strong rips

Praia do Populo is the Azores' most consistent surf spot—a beach break on volcanic black sand that sits in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, catching swells from virtually every direction. Located minutes from the capital Ponta Delgada on São Miguel island, this wave offers year-round potential in one of Europe's most underexplored surf regions. The dramatic volcanic landscape, thermal hot springs for recovery, and uncrowded lineups make the Azores a compelling alternative to Portugal's mainland coast. For surf explorers seeking genuine discovery, Populo is the portal to an Atlantic archipelago secret.

3-Day Forecast
Today
15
40
Poor
1.2m
@15s
19km/h
Mon
16
36
Poor
0.9m
@16s
9km/h
Tue
17
51
Fair
1.6m
@17s
30km/h
+7
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Today's Conditions

Swell
1.2m
NNW(333°)
Score: 13/25
Period
15s
Long period groundswell
Score: 25/25
Wind
19km/h
NNE(30°)
Score: 12/25
Weather
16°C
0.0mm51%
Windswell Component
0.1mN@1s
Secondary Swell
0.3mESE
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
afternoon

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
View in OpenStreetMap
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Tide Times

Tide data is not available for this spot yet.

Strike Score Breakdown

40
Poor
Components
Swell Direction0/25
Swell Size13/25
Swell Period25/25
Wind12/25
Raw Score50/100
Adjustments
⚠️ Weak Component-10
Adjusted Score40/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score40

Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SW (225°)
Direction range
180° - 270°
Size range
0.6m - 2.5m
Ideal size
1.9m
Height multiplier
0.92×
Ideal period
13s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
N (0°)
Offshore range
315° - 45°
Best window
morning

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
all
Optimal range
0.5m - 1.8m

Water temp

19°C

Wetsuit

3/2mm fullsuit

Difficulty

4/10

Crowd level

3/10

Access: 10min from Ponta Delgada airport. Easy beach access.

Best Season

Peak: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar

Secondary: Apr-Sep

Year-round waves. Winter for N swells, summer for S swells.

Getting There

Airport
PDL
Drive time
10 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion